The countries that have hydrogen bombs (thermonuclear weapons) are the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. North Korea has also claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb, which if confirmed, would make it the sixth country with this capability. Other nuclear-armed countries like India, Pakistan, and Israel possess nuclear weapons but not hydrogen bombs specifically—they have fission-based weapons only.
China notably made advancements in 2025 by successfully testing a different kind of hydrogen-based explosive device using magnesium hydride, but this is a non-nuclear chemical explosive and not a traditional hydrogen bomb.
In summary, the recognized nuclear states with hydrogen bombs are:
- United States
- Russia
- China
- France
- United Kingdom
Plus North Korea, pending independent confirmation of its hydrogen bomb claims.
